Loading...
04-10-19 ESC MinutesMINUTES OF CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 10, 2019 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Bruce Andrews, Chair Sarah Boren, Secretary Sarah Dark Bonnie Hanson Judith Leroux Amy Palmer Tony Pooley Dawn Scott STAFF: Shane Corbin, Director of Planning and Community Development Derek Reeves, Principal Planner Jennifer Johnston, Building Department 1. Call to order. The meeting was called to order at 6:02 p.m. in the Commission Chambers by B. Andrews. 2. Approval of the minutes. S. Boren asked that item #7 from the March 13, 2019 meeting minutes be amended to add "but noted that the current Commission's priorities" be added and the proposed March 18th meeting date be corrected. S. Dark brought a motion to approve the minutes as amended, and there was no opposition. The motion passed to approve the minutes. 3. Courtesy of the floor. No visitors were present for courtesy of the floor. 4. Tree ordinance update. D. Reeves presented his staff report of the tree ordinance update to the City Commission on Monday, April 8, 2019. S. Boren asked why the Commission asked for clarification for front yard definition, D. Reeves said the term "front yard" is not defined in Chapter 23, but in Chapter 24. B. Andrews discussed the definition of right of way, and asked the Committee if they agree with treating the side yard of corner lots as front yards, and the Committee agreed. D. Reeves said that the Commission discussed the Environmental Stewardship Committee being the board to hear tree ordinance variances. B. Andrews discussed the various times the Tree Subcommittee met to hear appeals. April 10, 2019 Environmental Stewardship Committee Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 S. Dark said the Tree Subcommittee follows up to ensure City staff has reviewed tree removal permits and mitigation requirements properly, and not to hear variances. B. Andrews stated he did not want to introduce a way for applicants to easily get a variance through the Community Development Board, but that the Environmental Stewardship Committee was not a quasi-judicial board. S. Dark said that if the Tree Subcommittee could grant variances, it would turn the Committee back into the previous Tree Board that was abolished. D. Reeves said that there had been two tree removal application appeals in five years while he had been with the City. S. Dark recommended providing a Committee report to the Community Development Board for appeals, and B. Andrews said that City staff already writes reports to the Board. S. Corbin said that variances would be properly noticed to the public, and that staff tries to weed out frivolous variance requests out before they reach the Community Development Board. A. Palmer asked how often the Community Development Board's decisions are appealed to Commission, and D. Reeves said the average is one per year. B. Hanson said the Community Development Board is already set up to hear variances. D. Reeves said that if the Committee decides to stay with the current waiver process, the ordinance could be revised to add more noticing to the public. J. Leroux discussed keeping the Environmental Stewardship Committee as the advisory body for tree removal permits, and not a judicial body. S. Boren said that the waiver process could go to Community Development Board with a recommendation from the Environmental Stewardship Committee. B. Andrews said the recommendation should be made to Commission to keep the Community Development Board as the body to hear variances. D. Reeves said the process for a variance would then take 1.5 to 2 months. D. Reeves discussed the use -by -exception process that requires a recommendation from Community Development Board. S. Boren said that process would protect the Board and its legacy, trees, and the Committee's expertise. S. Dark asked if the Environmental Stewardship Committee could appeal the Community Development Board's decision if the Committee did not agree with the Board. D. Reeves said that the affected party usually has the option to appeal, but the language to allow the Committee to appeal could be written into the ordinance. B. Andrews asked the Committee if they would like to present to Commission the variance process, with the Community Development Board hearing tree removal variances, and the Committee agreed. D. Reeves discussed the changes to the heritage tree mitigation requirement, and B. Andrews said there are only two heritage trees in the City currently, and only one on private property. The Committee discussed heritage tree mitigation. A. Palmer said that there is a way to protect big trees, and it seems to be missing from the ordinance. D. Reeves said that the City Manager did not like the idea of the City hiring an arborist, due to liability. He said and the City had hired an arborist roughly eight times that he could remember. D. Reeves explained his methodology when consulting with an arborist, and he would ask the arborist if the tree would survive 2 years, due to the tree permit requirement. B. Andrews said the Committee has not strengthened the ordinance, the ordinance was already pretty good, and the Committee has clarified items in the ordinance. J. Leroux said the Committee should thank the Commission and let them know they will discuss heritage trees further. The Committee discussed their membership levels and duties. J. Leroux said that this Committee has only once had a problem getting a quorum at a meeting, and has not had problems filling vacant slots. S. Dark said the diversity is needed in the eleven members. J. Leroux also said that the Subcommittees do not put undue burden on staff and Committee members. S. Corbin said that Code April 10, 2019 Environmental Stewardship Committee Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 Enforcement could get involved with hazardous trees on property lines, but should otherwise stay out of issues between neighbors. B. Andrews said the Committee should let insurance companies and legal issues handle neighboring trees. S. Boren discussed penalties for tree trimming companies, and she said the Committee needs more time to educate themselves on fees and time to educate the public on the ordinance. S. Corbin said there will be recourse against Lucas Trees for the tree removal on City property. 5. Tree plantings update. S. Corbin presented pictures of the trees planted recently in Johansen Park and Donner Park. He discussed the challenges maintaining the trees, including procuring a vehicle that could trailer a water tank from the Police Department and fixing a burst water pipe. He discussed the lessons learned for future plantings. B. Andrews said the Donner Park palms had experienced some shock, and S. Corbin said after four more weeks, the trees should not require the daily watering. S. Boren asked if a video could be posted to Facebook and an article submitted to the Beaches Leader regarding the trees. B. Andrews said the next planting will resume in the fall, and citizens have volunteered to help plant and water trees. 6. Tree giveaway. B. Andrews discussed the Greenscape Arbor Day celebration at Treaty Oak Park, where trees were given away. He said the tree supplier would sell the leftover trees from the event to the Committee, at less than $500. S. Corbin said the giveaway could coincide with Earth Day for an outreach purpose. S. Boren said she could coordinate with the U.S.G.B.C. Tiny House presentation along with a tree giveaway, with a recommendation of giving away two trees per family. The Committee discussed a date for the giveaway, and discussed coordinating with the Arts in the Park event. They discussed a plan to allow citizens to show their driver's license or water bill to receive a tree, plant care instructions, and "AB Loves Trees" stickers. B. Hanson suggested setting up next to the heritage tree. S. Corbin said it may be difficult to reserve a spot for the Arts in the Park event, and A. Palmer recommended the triangle park for the giveaway. B. Andrews said he would reach out to the tree supplier for tree sizes. The Committee discussed April 27th and the Dancing in the Streets event as other potential dates for a giveaway. B. Andrews asked if the Committee would like to plan an event at a later time, and the Committee agreed. B. Andrews offered to still hold the event if Committee members are interested. 7. Outreach. S. Corbin presented the Environmental Stewardship Committee's page on the City's website. J. Leroux said an Atlantic Beach photographer, Tom Schifanella, offered to photograph the City's parks for the website at low or no cost. S. Corbin said that the Deputy City Manager had also created a Facebook page for the Committee. 8. LEED for Cities update. S. Boren said the first review comments were received from the LEED for Cities application. She said there were a few comments that will require more research, including commercial waste comments. She said the second review will occur, and most likely the City will be LEED for Cities silver -certified. April 10, 2019 Environmental Stewardship Committee Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 She also discussed a Bank of America grant partnership with U.S.G.B.C, and 9 applicants were from Florida, and the City would be a leader in the program. 9. 2019 Environmental Stewardship Committee Workplan. B. Andrews discussed tabling items that did not receive more dots during the prioritizing activity. S. Boren went through each area of prioritization and discussed which items received the most support. S. Corbin said that staff had already begun work on two items on the workplan, and were marked as "in progress." S. Boren suggested forming and Education and Outreach Subcommittee, and S. Corbin agreed to send out an email for volunteers for the Subcommittee. 10. Adjournment. The motion to adjourn was brought by B. Andrews and passed with no opposition. The meeting adjourned at 8:21 pm. (Minutes respectfully submitted by Jennifer Johnston on May 7, 2019.) Sarah Boren, Secretary ATTEST: Shane Corbin, Corbin, Director of Planning and Community Development April 10, 2019 Environmental Stewardship Committee Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4